Tea in the Library
by MimiK
Summary: EAST Alliance, One Shots Edith/Anthony and Sybil/Tom, series 3, AU
1. Edith-Anthony

**Tea in the Library**

E/A

"I thought I'm joining you for tea," Edith said when she entered the library of Locksley. "Harryson will bring everything in here. Do you mind?"

"Of course, not, my love," Anthony replied, still reading some papers on his desk. "I will join you in a few moments."

"Don't rush," his wife answered. Edith took her book from the small table next to the library's sofa and started to read.

Currently she was enjoying one of these modern crime novels. She loved the twists in them and the adventurous plot. Not, that she didn't have enough adventures in her own life for five or ten novels, but she was very interested in other people's life – fiction or not. The book she had read before had been a travel report by D. H. Lawrence.

Harryson, their butler, entered the room silently and left it the same after serving the tea. He was used to his employers sitting in library together, not recognizing anybody else, but themselves or the books they were reading.

It had changed a bit after the birth of their daughter. Not only that the little girl was the shining star of the house and was loved by her parents as well as by everybody of the staff, her giggling and running were welcomed noises to the usually so quieted house.

When Edith looked up from her book some minutes later, she was indeed surprised to see that the tea had already been served.

"Anthony, my love," she said.

He turned around. "Oh, yes, of course,... Tea," he noted and put his papers away.

Edith poured tea in both cups and put the sandwiches on the plates.

"Isabella will stay at Downton tonight?" Anthony asked, while he sat down.

Edith nodded. "I'm not sure, if I like this," she confessed. "Our girl is still so small, but with two governesses in the house everything should be fine."

"Your sister is there, too," Anthony tried to calm his wife. "And you can't call your mother inexperienced. As far as I remember, she brought three girls up."

"You are right," Edith agreed and added confession-like: "I don't mind an evening on our own."

Anthony looked at her, very well understanding, what she was talking about. "Do you mind to start at once?" he asked. His mouth felt suddenly dry.

The desire, visible in Edith' eyes, was a sibling to his feelings.

"Right now and right here?" she asked.

"For a start," he replied, "yes".


	2. Sybil-Tom

S/T

The library of Downton Abbey was the place Tom Branson felt least comfortable for sitting in. The room always reminded him of his first day on duty as his father in law's chauffeur.

Sybil recognised her husband's worries with a single glance at him. "Relax, darling," she said smiling. "With Mary and Matthew in London und my parents taking out their granddaughters we've got Downton on our own."

"I'm sure," her spouse replied, "that Carson will enter this room every minute announcing your grandmother for tea."

Some minutes later, Carson was very annoyed that he was welcomed by some tremendous giggles, when he entered the library for serving the tea.

"At least," Sybil said, when Carson had finally left, "It was tea only..."

"And I'm sure, Carson won't return before dinner," Tom supposed. "He was very irritated by your laughter."

He looked at her smiling. Then he patted next to him on the sofa. "Come here."

Sybil answered his smirk. "I beg your pardon," she said in her most upper class tune.

"Come," Tom demanded with a gentle sounding voice. "I want to have you close to me like at home - only one small sofa to sit on, only us two."

Although she enjoyed their unfortunately extending visit at Downton, Sybil missed their home in Ireland, too. She crossed the room and sat down next to him.

Every spoken word was superfluous between them. Tom took her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly. He loved her so much. Unimaginably what he might have done, if he had lost her during the difficult birth of their daughter.

"At home my friends' girlfriends use to say that you are the fairy queen, who bewitched me," he told her after a long-lasting exchange of kisses.

"Of course, I am, my darling," Sybil whispered. "You had to know this from the very beginning."

"From your first ride in my car or from your appearance in harem pants?"

"As far as I know, it was my father's car," Sybil teased.

"Oh, yes, I remember, I was only the revolutionary chauffeur." Tom pulled his wife closer in his embracement. "Maybe we should go upstairs. I'd love to show you some of my very riotous ideas of marriage."

"Very well, my Fenian husband, may I remind you that I am famous for being very engaged in the fight for women's rights?"

Tom had an answer to that already on the tip of his tongue, but a firm knock and the opening library door hampered this as well as any further intimacy.

"The Dowager Countess," Carson announced, while he entered the room.


End file.
